Ara Erickson

The role of commercial or intensively managed forests is complex, but not necessarily complicated. This session will provide a few, simple lenses for understanding these forests, from the perspective from one of the largest private forest landowners in North America. It will explore 1) what it looks like to manage forests across a landscape, 2) how these forests can meet a variety of societal and environmental needs and benefits, and 3) set the stage for a conversation.

Speaker Biography

Ara Erickson is Vice-President of Corporate Sustainability at Weyerhaeuser, where she is accountable for the development and implementation of the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, including three areas where the company is in a unique position to participate: working forests contribution to climate change solutions, the role of sustainable products in ensuring housing for everyone, and support for thriving rural communities. She serves as a board member for American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States, is a founding steering committee member for the Women’s Forest Congress, and uses her voice to be an advocate for sustainable, working forests.

Ara is an authentic, compassionate, and driven leader, best known for building partnerships through collaboration, transparency and honest communication. Prior to Weyerhaeuser, she served as Director of the Green City Partnerships program with a regional conservation organization, Forterra, and as a forest-based researcher, environmental consultant and educator. She received her M.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington and her B.S. in Resource Management from the University of California, Berkeley.